Charging Deep Cycle Batteries

Charging deep cycle batteries correctly can improve and extend the life of your golf cart battery.

If you are a new golf cart owner, you simply plug the charger into
your cart and 2-5 seconds later, you will hear it automatically turn on. It is important to charge the batteries completely before you use your electric golf cart - especially when it is new.

By running the new golf cart until the battery charge is way down, you shorten the life of your new batteries. The charger will turn off automatically when the batteries are
fully charged. There is nothing to turn off. Simply unplug the charger
from the cart when the charger has shut off. Depending on how much the
golf cart batteries are discharged will determine how long it will take
to fully recharge them.

You can certainly run your batteries down to 80% or so if you are
using it for several rounds of golf or for a long trip on your golf cart
but this may shorten the life of your batteries. Avoid deep discharging
whenever possible.

Be sure to charge the batteries fully after every use.

When you have a new golf cart or a new set of batteries, they will need to be fully charged around 20-50 times before they've reached their full capacity.

Golf Cart Battery Charging

Good golf cart battery charging practices can lead to to a longer lifespan. Charging deep cycle batteries needs to be done after every use for optimal care of your batteries. Even if you only use it for 9 minutes or 9 holes.

This is especially important for those of you who live in a golf
cart community like I do - many times we use our golf cart just for a
few minutes each day to go to a neighbors house or to run to a store.

The worst thing you can do to your electric golf cart batteries is to let them sit in a hot garage without ever charging them. Avoid running your golf cart on a low charge as this can be very hard on your batteries and can shorten their life span.

A few times after 36 holes of golf, my battery charge indicator
is flashing, which means, it could die at any moment. This is what you
are NOT suppose to do.

Also do not plug your golf cart battery into a plug that is
shared with a refrigerator or other electric appliance. It can
interfere with the consistency of the flow of electricity which also
affects the health of your batteries.

Understanding Golf Cart Batteries

By understanding golf cart batteries you may save yourself some
serious money. Because we live in a golf cart community and I love to
play golf, our golf cart gets used (and abused) a lot.

I have done everything good and bad to my golf cart. The one
thing I have not yet done is to run it so long and so far that the cart
will no longer run. This can really shorten the life of your batteries
and in fact, you risk the possibility that the batteries will not accept
the recharge if it is completely discharged.

So understand that the deeper the discharge the harder it is on your batteries.

The amount of time it takes when charging deep cycle batteries
depends on how much they are used and how old they are. Make it a habit
to plug in the charger every evening and let your golf cart batteries
recharge over night.

Tips for Charging Deep Cycle Batteries

1. Batteries need to get fully charged between uses.

Using your golf cart when your batteries aren't fully charged leads to hard sulfation and can affect battery performance and the longevity of your batteries. Make sure your batteries have enough time to complete a charge cycle before using your cart.

2. Be sure to check the water level of your batteries frequently (more often in the summer).

The hotter the temp, the quicker the set of batteries will discharge. The older the batteries, the more frequently you need to check your water levels. Older batteries use more water. Correctly watering your flooded lead-acid batteries is the most important battery maintenance tip. Water loss must be replaced to prevent battery plate damage. Never allow the electrolyte level to fall below the plates. The battery filler that has an auto-shut off is one by Plews:

If the batteries are new or fairly new use distilled water rather than tap water.

4. Water your batteries after they are fully charged ... unless there is no water covering the plates. If that's the case then add just enough water to cover the plates. Be sure to use distilled water. If you fill the batteries before you charge them, you risk overfilling. During the charging process the electrolyte level will rise and may bubble out of the cap damaging your frame and garage floor.

5. Batteries need to be kept clean and dry to prevent self discharge. Dirty batteries can cause a trickle of small current that can slowly discharge your batteries.

6. When it comes time to replace your batteries, replace all of them. Do not mix new and used batteries.

A little warning if you are finding that your golf cart batteries are not holding their charge as long or as well as they used to, it may be time to get new batteries - Ouch! They keep jumping in price and it will cost you a couple hundred dollars.

7. When you are pulling the battery charger plug from your golf cart, be sure to pull on the actual plug, not the cord.

If you repeatedly pull from the cord, which is what my wife does
all the time, you can damage the wires inside the plug and pull them
loose. If this happens your charge won't work.

I have found that after a few years, my batteries take a longer
time to charge and don't hold a charge as long as the new batteries.
The older they get, the more frequently I check the water levels.

8. Be sure the the ignition key is in the "off" position.

Golf Cart Battery Charge Indicator

Who would drive a golf cart without a charge meter? It would be like driving a car without knowing how much gas is in the tank.

You wouldn't think that any golf cart would be without one - but indeed it does happen. I came across a stranded teenager on the golf cart paths who was driving her neighbor's fairly new golf cart. The cart had stopped after she had taken it across town and was heading back home. When I stopped to help her - sure enough there was no meter for her to know how much charge was left on the batteries.

It Might Not Be Your Batteries

If you notice your that your cart is slowing down and doesn't have quite the power it once did, it may not be the batteries.

It could be low tire pressure. Low tire pressure causes an increased load on deep cycle batteries which will not only slow down the golf cart but also decrease the distance one can go before recharging.